New Polecat Trailhead looks good and could be open by the weekend

I took a bike ride Sunday morning to check it out and was impressed by how nicely the new facility blends into the terrain. There's an outhouse, information kiosk and parking. The lot will be a good way for folks to get onto the Polecat trails from Collister and not have to park in the culdesac. The could be open by July 26, according to Julia Grant, Foothills open space manager.

Crews are still working on the gate to the parking lot, which will be a solar powered and automatically close at night. But the heavy equipment work is done and people can now ride in, according to Julia Grant

The trail is in pretty good shape for summer riding. This trail system can get sandy and some sections can be treacherous on a mountain bike, but overall, I had no complaints, except the heat, of course.

The new access includes a firmly compacted dirt road, and you can access it directly rather than having to ride or hike around a fence and through a wash.

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No trail is planned that will directly link the parking lot to the existing trail. You have to ride a short ways up a dirt road. It's easy to pick up more speed than you intend if you're riding a bike down that section, and there's a lot of soft sand where the new gate is. Watch your speed if you're coming out that way.

Speaking of watching your speed, make sure you do so when leaving the parking lot. You're driving through residential area on Collister Drive, which is steep and it's easy to pick up momentum if you're coasting.